In our ongoing video series Chef Joseph W. DiPerri, from The Culinary Institute of America, demonstrates how to make Fritto Misto (mixed fried seafood) from Venice, Italy

Recipe

T
he Italian phrase "fritto misto" roughly translates as "mixed fry," and it encompasses all sorts of fried foods: meats such as sweetbreads, vegetables, and even desserts. But in Venice the term almost always applies to the city's justly famous frutti di marefruits of the sea.

The chefs of Venice's restaurants and cafés know that frying is one of the best ways to showcase the impeccably fresh fish and seafood from the Adriatic Sea. "Frying strips away only the rawness and by its quick, deep heat encapsulates the ingredient with all its intrinsic qualitiesthe juiciness, the taste, the textureintact," writes Italian cooking guru Marcella Hazan in her cookbook Marcella Says.

In our videos, the CIA's Chef Joseph W. DiPerri shows how to capture the succulence and flavor Hazan describes. Like the Venetians, you'll want to start with the freshest seafood you can find. DiPerri uses squid, smelt, shrimp, and scallops, but baby octopus, sardines, and anchovies are also wonderful fried. Make sure each piece of seafood is dry before you coat it with a small amount of flour (wet foods are more likely to splatter when they're fried). Then get it quickly intoand back out ofyour hot oil so it doesn't get soggy, greasy, or overcooked. Watch the videos and you'll see that it's easier than it might sound to produce light, crisp, and moist fried foods.

In Venice, Fritto Misto is usually served naked or with just a squeeze of lemon juice, but it's also wonderful with tartar sauce. You can use store-bought mayo as a base, or watch our video on how to make mayonnaise and whip up a batch of homemade.